Lightning's Week Off
by PrincessSerenity101
Summary: Lightning wants to surprise Serah with a week off from working but finds that she has a hard time coping with an unlikely attraction toward her sister. Meanwhile, Serah seems to be keeping secrets of her own.


Lightning's Week Off

_Summary: Lightning wants to surprise Serah with a week off from working but finds that she has a hard time coping with an unlikely attraction toward her sister. Meanwhile, Serah seems to be keeping secrets of her own._

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Final Fantasy-related. It would awesome if I did though.**

**A/N: This is my first fic in this section, so please enjoy!**

Lightning carefully entered her home, knowing that Serah would be asleep. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb her sister's rest. It was hours past midnight, but Lightning had lost track of time. She had been swamped in paperwork at the Guardian Corps because she needed the overtime. She hoped Serah understood. She would have to change her schedule around slightly so that she could see Serah in the morning to compensate.

The house was dark, but the TV had been left on. The light coming from it revealed Serah lying down on the couch. She was fast asleep as expected. As the older woman made her way over to the TV, she stole a glance at her sister's sleeping figure. Serah was an innocent girl, but seeing her in her most vulnerable state made the word 'innocent' seem like an understatement. She was so beautiful, and it was hard for Lightning to take her eyes off of her. For a few minutes, she left the TV on so that she could see Serah clearly. It was for that short while that she let herself indulge in her shameful feelings. Usually she would tuck them away in the deepest parts of her heart and focus on being a sister first and foremost. Now that it was late and Serah wasn't conscious, she let the rush of her emotions overtake her.

Once she was ready, she pushed her feelings aside and tried to forget about them for the time being. She turned off the TV and beckoned for Serah. "Hey, wake up," she called. Serah didn't budge. Lightning sighed and nudged Serah with her foot and got a better response. "Come on, Serah," she said. "You know you're not supposed to sleep down here."

Serah groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She squinted at Lightning and huffed, "I wouldn't have to be here if you got home earlier." She leaned back on the couch and attempted to go back to sleep, but Lightning grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

Reluctantly, Serah got up to her feet and started walking to her room. Lightning followed close behind and made sure Serah didn't bump into anything on the way. Before Serah entered, she yawned, "I wish you would stay home more often. I miss you."

Before Lightning could say anything, Serah disappeared into her room and locked the door. Lightning frowned as she went to her room next door. She hated the fact that she never saw Serah. If Serah was hurt by her absence, Lightning felt the same way but tenfold. Luckily for her, she had the week off once the sun came up. She had been working so hard for the last few months so that she could afford to stop working for a little while. Serah would be overjoyed at the news once she woke up – she just had to be.

* * *

When Lightning opened her eyes, she noticed how bright the room was. Rays of light seeped in through the window blinds, indicating the time of day. Looking to the alarm clock, Lightning saw that it was one in the afternoon. She hadn't slept in so late since her parents passed away, so it shocked her initially. For once, she felt well rested and fully energized. Getting out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom and started her daily routine. As she brushed her teeth, she heard Serah's voice coming from below. She was talking to someone (or maybe herself if she were crazy enough), and Lightning had a bad feeling about it. She heard a familiar, baritone voice after listening intently.

Lightning rushed out of the bathroom and back into her room to change out of her nightclothes. That voice only belonged to one man, but she tried to convince herself that she was imagining things. Working so hard had caused her to go a little loopy, hadn't it? A little insanity came with the territory. She kept making up excuses in her head, hoping that Serah was alone. She composed herself and got ready to go down the stairs. With a stone cold expression, she went to the kitchen and found Serah and Snow – the very man she suspected – laughing together at the table. Once they noticed her, they suddenly became silent. Lightning mentally grinned at their reaction to her presence. She knew that they thought she had gone to work, so this came as a big surprise. That had been the whole point, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

"Good afternoon, Serah."

She purposely ignored Snow as she went through the fridge. Her tone was filled with venom when she greeted Serah, and her little sister understood that. Without arguing, she led Snow to the door, whispering to him the whole way. Lightning tried not to eavesdrop. Her curiosity was telling her to listen to their secret conversation, but she knew it wasn't a good idea. Instead, she grabbed a gallon of milk and closed the fridge door. After that, she went through the cupboards. She took out a box of cereal and found a bowl and a spoon to go with it.

Serah came back and took the cereal box away from Lightning , glaring at her as if she were in trouble. "Claire, why aren't you at work?" she asked.

"Why was Snow here? What have I told you about bringing people home?"

"I'm not a child so don't treat me like one," Serah countered. "And don't go changing the subject either." She put her hands on her hips and made a cute pout. Lightning knew that her sister was trying to be serious, but she couldn't be taken seriously with a face like that. The elder Farron tried to keep her eyes on Serah's, but her attention was divided. One part of her brain was focused on Serah, while the other was thinking about how she wanted to gently caress the shorter girl and hold her close. All the while, she maintained a neutral face to hide her inner turmoil.

"Until you start paying some bills around here, then maybe you'll be an adult."

"What are you still doing here, Claire?"

"I took the week off. I thought you might have liked the surprise, but I guess not," Lightning said, reclaiming the cereal box. Serah became quiet and watched her pour the cereal into the bowl. Lightning tallied up another victory in her head, never looking Serah in the eye during the silence. Once she poured the milk, she put everything back where she found it and sat at the table, quickly glancing at the young girl.

"What was Snow doing here? Do you bring him in when I'm not here?"

"Sometimes," Serah whispered, blushing from the guilt she felt. She sat across from Lightning and looked at her lap. "Only because you're gone all the time. I just want the company, but I promise you nothing happens."

Lightning raised an eyebrow at the thought. She had never thought about the possibility of Serah getting intimately involved with Snow. Whether it was here or outside of the house, something could have happened between them and she wouldn't have known it. It burned her up inside, and it made her want to forget about the entire conversation.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm being serious!" Serah exclaimed when she saw her sister's face. "I don't even like him like that."

Lightning said nothing as she continued to eat cereal. Now she was getting upset. Her defense mechanism was to shut out everything until her feelings settled down. On a normal day, Serah would have left her alone but she kept pushing the issue.

"You know I would never do something like that," she said. "I'm not that kind of girl."

"And yet you brought him inside of our home. Makes you look questionable, don't you think?" Lightning sighed, rolling her eyes. She grabbed her bowl and started making her way toward her room. The surprise was a failure, and she didn't want to deal with Serah right now. As far as she was concerned, Snow could figure out what to do with her.

* * *

If there was one thing Lightning hated, it was the fact that she was Serah's sister. It was a fact that she had forgotten many times over the years. Yes, she was working hard to support her and her sister, but she had concentrated more on being a guardian while trying to hide her terrible feelings. Whenever she had thoughts of kissing or touching Serah, she had to remind herself that Serah was her own flesh and blood. Such a relationship wasn't even fathomable. It was already socially unacceptable to be attracted to women, but this complicated things even more.

As Lightning watched TV and sat on one end of the couch, Serah was there with her on the opposite side. Lightning had a feeling that she wasn't paying attention, but she didn't care. Hours had passed since their first encounter, but things were still awkward. If Lightning said anything to start a conversation, she would start a fight on purpose and that wouldn't help matters at all.

"Hey, Claire?"

"Yes?"

"Is there anything you want to do today?"

"Nope."

Serah sighed heavily, catching Lightning's attention. "I'm sorry, okay?" she said. "Can we just forget about Snow and go hang out somewhere?" She moved closer to Lightning and linked their arms together. Lightning unintentionally softened her expression, unable to maintain her focus. Her mind wandered as Serah filled her senses. The younger girl carried a sweet smell, which Lightning likened to candy. Lightning had always wondered if Serah's lips tasted the way she smelled, but she knew that she would never get the chance to find out.

"You wouldn't have brought him _alone_ if you were just friends," Lightning pointed out, turning her head away from Serah. For the next few minutes, the only thing that made any sound was the TV. Serah continued to hold onto her, which she didn't mind at all. The only time the sisters made physical contact was if Serah needed something. The young girl would latch onto her older sister and beg for whatever she needed. More often than not, Lightning would acquiesce and receive a hug in return. While it wasn't much, Lightning still appreciated it and cherished it while it lasted.

"It's complicated," Serah whispered. Lightning glanced at her from the corner of her eye and saw the girl looking down. Serah frowned deeply and seemed to go off into a reverie. Clearly there was something going on, so Lightning decided to get to the bottom of it.

"Let's get some fresh air. I don't know about you, but I don't think I want to be cooped up in the house all day," Lightning smiled. Serah looked up at her and returned it, nodding at the idea. She jumped up and put her shoes on while Lightning turned off the TV. Even though she actually did want to stay home, she figured it would be okay to sacrifice the first day and explore Bodhum. Quality time together would certainly help Serah feel better and coax her into revealing her secrets.

* * *

During the outing, Serah didn't say a word about Snow. She pretended like he didn't exist, and Lightning preferred it that way. They spent the entire day together, and it was probably the most fun Lightning had ever had in years. It was like they were simply friends who had known each other forever. They went window shopping and pointed out clothes that would look better for the other person or noted something they wanted to save up for. The sisters had two opposite styles, but that didn't hinder their fun.

Later, they swung by the beach to relax. Their first stop was Lebreau's Bar for some refreshments. Lightning bought sodas for the both of them since Serah was too young to drink alcohol. Wanting to watch the sunset, the two picked a spot in the sand and sat down. Serah looked off at the horizon line created by the ocean's distant edge that sparkled in the sun's light. She was completely entranced by it, and it looked as though she had forgotten all about her sister. Lightning played with the sand with one hand while holding her soda in another. The sunset was beautiful, but she didn't think it was anything special. She had been stationed at the beach so many times that the sunset lost its magic after a while.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Lightning looked up at Serah when she finally spoke. She shrugged and said, "You don't give me a reason to believe otherwise."

Serah sighed quietly as she continued to stare into the distance. Lightning gave her a pat on the back with her free hand and smiled at her. Serah turned to her and tried to frown, but she couldn't after seeing Lightning. She ended up giggling, taking Lightning by surprise.

"What are you laughing for?" Lightning asked.

"Because you're my sister. Of course you would think that."

"What else am I supposed to say?"

Serah shook her head and inched her way closer to Lightning. She rested her head on her sister's shoulder and brought her legs up to her chest. They let the sounds of the waves relax them until someone was ready to say something. Lightning knew that Serah was thinking over whatever was on her mind, but she was taking too long. Lightning wanted to know what was going on sooner rather than later.

The sun was disappearing behind the horizon line, and night was falling. The edge of the distant ocean was outlined with an orange-pink color, and the sky was slowly turning dark indigo. They had been sitting down for so long, time flew right by them. Their drinks had long since been abandoned. The lonely cans were stuck in the warm sand until the two were ready to leave. People had come and go during the passage of time, but only they remained.

"I'm really sorry about earlier," Serah blurted out. "I didn't mean to make you so upset."

Lightning hugged Serah close and kissed the top of her head. She rubbed her arm comfortingly and shrugged at the apology. "It's fine," she said. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"But I'm such a jerk. I led Snow on for so long, I ignored the house rules, and I went behind your back."

Lightning frowned at the thought of Snow being in her house more often than not. Serah had told her that Snow was there 'sometimes' but now she wasn't sure what to think. "Explain the Snow part."

"Snow likes me a lot, and I always feign interest whenever he gives me the chance," Serah explained. "Whenever you were at work, I would hang out with him or invite him over to fill in the space." She paused for a moment and looked up at her older sister. "I felt like I was the only one left – first Mom died, so did Dad, and then you were always gone."

The girl's words pierced Lightning's heart. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she stayed quiet. She had gotten so caught up in working that she had neglected Serah in the process. The irony was too perfect.

"He was always there for me, you know?" Serah continued. "So I used him and pretended to like him just so that I wouldn't feel the pain of not having you around." She laughed for a moment as she played with the sand. "How shallow is that?" she quipped.

"Very, but it's not your fault," Lightning answered. "I'll spend more time with you; I'll take more time off and stay home so you don't get lonely."

The sisters smiled at each other, and Serah nodded at the idea. "I would love that," she said.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way," Lightning apologized. "I neglected you while I was trying to take care of you, and that's not okay."

"You're doing what's best for us. It's hard when you're doing it by yourself."

"And that's where you're mistaken," Lightning grinned, tapping Serah's nose with her finger. "I'm doing what's best for you, not me." Serah smiled and kissed her sister's cheek. Lightning felt the blood rushing to the spot where Serah's lips had been and wished she could hide it. Serah was so close, and she would definitely notice the blushing.

"What was that for?"

"Just for everything. You're the best sister anyone could ask for."

"If I'm really that great, then it's a good thing no one asked for me and I got stuck with you, huh?" Lightning grinned.

Serah laughed as she pushed her older sister into the sand, running off as fast as she could. Lightning recovered and halfheartedly chased after the girl, not in any rush to end this moment. They ran circles around the beach until Lightning finally caught up and tackled Serah to the ground. Serah tried to squirm away but it was no use. Lightning flipped her over on her back and picked up sand as if she were going to throw it into her face. It reminded her of when they were little. Lightning would torture young Serah with the sand just like this until she cried. She got in trouble for it of course, but it was worth it at the end of the day – or so she had thought.

Serah visibly cringed at the sight of the sand in Lightning's hands and closed her eyes, assuming her fate was sealed. Seconds later, she peeled one eye open to see that Lightning had released the sand and was sitting on top of her with a smile. She smiled back, and they soon broke out into laughter. When Lightning had enough fun, she stood up and brought Serah up to her feet. Wiping the sand off their clothes, they collected their lonely soda cans and recycled them. They walked home in a peaceful silence. Serah linked their arms together and held on tight the whole time. Lightning kept her cool and pretended like it didn't mean anything. After all, they were only sisters and that's how it would stay.

Once they returned to their home, they immediately went to the kitchen. They were in desperate need of food, so they hoped that there were leftovers from yesterday. They stuck heads in the fridge at the same time, their cheeks only inches away from each other. When they realized how close they were, they looked at each other, hoping someone would move away first. The tension was building, and Lightning knew there was only one way to get rid of it. Her lips curled into a wily smirk as she pushed Serah back so that there was only one body blocking the fridge.

Serah twisted her face into a pout and pulled Lightning toward her with all of her strength. She grinned smugly at the surprise on her sister's face. Lightning was a lot stronger than her, but she had some strength tucked away in her. In retaliation, Lightning shoved her harder than she had meant to, and the young girl stumbled back into the table. What had started out as a joke soon became a fight. Serah's eyes lit up with fury as she lunged for Lightning. Being nimble, she simply sidestepped Serah and pushed her toward the counter.

"Hey, calm down. I was only kidding before."

"You pushed me into the table, jerk!"

Serah attempted to make a move, but Lightning cornered her with no way out. The pink-haired woman blocked any means of escape with her arms. Her hands were gripping the edge of the counter with Serah stuck in the middle. Of course, Serah could easily go under her arms, but she would eventually be captured again. Serah was smart and knew when to give up and admit defeat. It hurt her pride, but she would rather give up on her own than lose a fight she couldn't win.

The two sisters stayed quiet and stared into each other's eyes defiantly. Lightning's gaze pierced Serah's heart and slowly made her back down. There was nothing scolding or chastising about the older woman's eyes. Usually, this was the part where Lightning tried to use the 'I'm-your-guardian-do-as-I-say' card. To Serah's surprise, she was acting like a sister for a change. Now the two were on equal footing in this quarrel.

"Have you calmed down yet?"

Serah crossed her arms and shrugged one shoulder. Her eyes fell to the floor as she began to lean against the counter. She heard Lightning grunt and felt her presence disappear. Looking up, she saw Lightning closing the fridge door that they had left open. She was going to leave the room, but Serah grabbed her arm before that could happen. Lightning looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Serah sighed. "Not that _I_ should be the one apologizing. Let's just be happy, okay?" Lightning closed her eyes as she let her senses focus on Serah's fingers wrapped around her forearm. Not knowing how else to respond besides apologizing herself, she let her guard down and let her tense shoulders slump. She slid her arm out of Serah's grip and replaced it with her hand. Tugging on the smaller girl, Lightning led her to the living room couch. The elder sister turned on the TV and turned out the lights, ignoring Serah's voice echoing in her ears.

"Seriously, what are you doing?" Serah asked. Her eyes followed Lightning curiously, waiting for some kind of answer. Taking her by surprise, Lightning sat next to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You want us to be happy, so let's be that," she answered with a smile. Serah returned it and leaned on her sister, putting her legs up on the couch. Lightning's hand remained on Serah's shoulder and held the girl as close as possible.

The two sisters stared at the TV for hours on end, watching movies until their bodies began shutting down. Lightning was the first to fall asleep. The hand that she had been holding Serah with had become limp and slipped down the younger Farron's arm. Serah had tried to fight the power of sleep but eventually gave up. Before she could let herself drift away, she rubbed her eyes and stood to her feet. If the situation were reversed, Lightning would carry her up the stairs into her room (on a good night). Unfortunately, Serah wasn't as strong as Lightning and doing such a thing would be impossible.

"Claire, wake up," Serah croaked, her voice caught in her throat. "Let's go to bed." She nudged the woman until she came back to reality. Lightning yawned and stretched with her eyes shut tight, wanting to return to the realm of sleep. Serah poked her, with more force each time, until she finally stood up. "Come on, let's go to bed," Serah repeated, taking Lightning's hands and leading her up the stairs. Serah let go of her hands when they arrived in front of Lightning's door.

"Goodnight," Serah yawned, closing her eyes and covering her mouth. Lightning merely grunted and leaned forward for a simple kiss on the cheek. Just after Serah's yawn reached its climax, she tilted her head slightly and removed her hand from her face. Before she knew it, Lightning's lips were on top of hers. Besides being the most awkward kiss she had ever experienced, it was her first one. In fear that things would become even more awkward, she didn't move a muscle. Lightning stepped back as if nothing had happened and disappeared into her room.

Serah, completely confused, entered her room and touched her lips delicately with her fingertips. Even though her first kiss was with her own sister, she didn't mind it at all. In fact, she wouldn't mind a proper, intentional kiss from Lightning.

* * *

Day two of Lightning's vacation had officially arrived but didn't feel as good as she thought it would. Serah avoided her all morning and spoke less than five words. The young girl was never good at hiding her feelings, and it made Lightning curious as to what was going on. Instead of forcing the issue out, Lightning decided to wait until Serah divulged everything. She didn't want to talk about it now, but she couldn't keep her feelings inside forever.

Midway through the afternoon, Serah stepped out to be with her friends. There was a possibility that she was with Snow, and the thought made Lightning's heart sink a little. As the hours passed, the idea seemed more plausible, but there was nothing that she could do about it. In an attempt to get the two off of her mind, she started some of the housework that Serah often neglected. She washed the dishes, did the laundry, took out the trash, and even swept the floor of every room in the house. Doing housework got half the job done – she forgot about Snow but not Serah.

Serah continued to linger in her mind and wouldn't go away. She felt a burning sensation in her lips at the mere thought of kissing her sister, and she didn't know whether to be ashamed or delighted. That single image was etched into her brain for some reason, but she could literally feel the haziness clouding her mind when she thought too hard about it. Her gut was telling her that she had kissed Serah before; her mind was telling her that it had never happened and she was making the whole thing up. If anything, it felt like a dream.

Night drew near as the sun slowly disappeared. Serah still hadn't come home and Lightning was getting worried with each passing hour. When midnight rolled around, there was still no sign of Serah. Lightning had had enough of the waiting game and decided to go look for her sister. She opened the door and found a hooded figure sitting on the steps. She bent over to peer over the hood and found Serah staring into space.

"Serah! Where have you been?" Lightning exclaimed, crouching in front of her and shaking her shoulders. Serah moved like a limp noodle but didn't acknowledge Lightning at first. She was in her own little world and it took a while for her to come back to reality. She set her eyes on Lightning, who was trying to talk to her, and stared at her with wide, blank eyes. Eventually, she came to her senses and reacted to Lightning's words with movement.

"Sorry," the smaller woman whispered, turning around to go inside. Lightning was right on her heels, determined to figure out what was going on. They entered the house together, but Serah tried to rush up to her room. As soon as Lightning closed the door, she jumped in front of Serah's path to confront her.

"Serah, you've been gone for hours," she said. "I've been worried sick all day. What's going on? Where have you been this whole time?"

Serah removed her hoodie and played with it, twisting and squeezing it to keep her mind busy. Lightning knew she was trying to avoid the conversation, but she wasn't going to let this go.

"Serah, answer me," she ordered darkly.

Serah winced at her tone and bit her lip. "I was with Snow all day," she muttered. "He took me out."

Lightning sighed and stepped aside. She wanted to be angry enough to scold Serah, but she was happy that her sister was safe and sound. She didn't want to know what Snow did with her sister, but it was probably better that she was left in the dark.

"Go to your room," Lightning relented. Serah nodded once and made her way up the stairs, Lightning watching her from the bottom. She stopped midway and turned back to the older Farron.

"Lightning?"

"Yes, Serah?"

"Snow kissed me today."

Lightning stayed silent, not knowing what to say to that. It confirmed her suspicions, and she wasn't really surprised at all. The only thing that would really get a reaction would be news of them having sex. The thought of it was enough to make her anger flare up inside her, but she hid it well.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Yeah," Serah nodded. "I kind of wish he hadn't. I liked yours a lot better."

Lightning opened her mouth to say something but closed it once her mind processed what her sister had said. The awkward silence stretched longer than she had meant it to. Serah inched back in order to leave, but Lightning spoke up before she could get the chance to escape. "What? What are you talking about?"

Serah blushed and hugged herself. "It was an accident really. You meant to give me a kiss goodnight on my cheek, but…"

The shorter girl trailed off and turned into a tomato at the thought of it. Shaking her head, she excused herself and went up the stairs. Lightning didn't follow her right away. The thought of kissing her little sister came to her as a shock. That feeling that she had had before wasn't actually a dream, and she should have been overjoyed, especially since Serah seemingly had feelings towards her as well. Still, something didn't sit right with Lightning and she couldn't get over it until she made sure Serah was okay.

Lightning dashed up the stairs and caught Serah right before she had closed the door. She got her hand caught in the door in an attempt to prevent Serah from closing it, although she immediately regretted it. When Serah opened the door, she apologized profusely as she gently held Lightning's hand.

"What does this mean?" Lightning asked, wincing at her throbbing fingers. They were slowly turning red and beginning to swell. One would think that she would be used to getting injuries since she was a soldier. Still, her skin was very sensitive and bruised easily. Serah's touch made the pain worth it, and she couldn't deny that. "Please, talk to me."

Serah sighed heavily and avoided Lightning's gaze. "You meant to kiss me goodnight, but I moved and you kissed my lips instead…"

"I gathered that, but what does that meanto_ you_?" Lightning repeated. "You say it was an accident, but you're freaking out and acting as if it was more than that."

"You didn't do it on purpose... but I didn't mind it," Serah explained. "I thought it was weird at first since you're my older sister, but then I liked the idea of you and me…"

She trailed off and tried to retreat yet again, but Lightning held her in place by grabbing her shoulders. "Look at me, Serah," she whispered.

Reluctantly, Serah met her eyes. The young girl was trying to hold back her tears, but Lightning couldn't figure out why she was overreacting. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

Serah shook her head and shut her eyes tight, refusing to look at Lightning. She was visibly shaking, and her knees buckled underneath her. Lightning had never seen her sister like that before. She needed to think of something quickly before Serah lost the feeling in her legs. The only thing that she could think to do was hug her, but Serah would only continue to push her away. There was nothing comforting that she could do as a guardian, so she threw caution to the wind.

Making a conscious decision, Lightning kissed Serah's lips and found that it was probably the best course of action she could have taken. Serah's muscles eventually relaxed, though they relaxed too much. She became limp and it took everything Lightning had to hold her up without breaking the kiss. While she wasn't getting much of a positive reaction, she was happy that Serah had calmed down.

When Lightning pulled away, she made sure Serah was able to stand again. Everything seemed to be fine at first; Serah was standing again, although she slouched a bit. Her face was filled with shock and the tears were still threatening to fall from her glossy eyes. Unfortunately, she lost the feeling in her legs again, and Lightning just barely caught her. Deciding that standing wasn't working for the other Farron, she decided to let her sit on the floor. She stared intently at Serah while she kneeled in front of her.

"I know that was kind of inappropriate," Lightning said, biting her lip. "Well, 'kind of' is an understatement. I'm sorry." The lack of a reaction made Lightning regret her actions. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a rift between her and the only family she had left. If she didn't have Serah's full love and support, life wouldn't be worth living. "Serah, say something. Anything," Lightning pleaded.

Serah blinked a few times, causing tears to finally fall. She exhaled a long breath that she had been holding in the entire time and surprised Lightning with a wide smile. What came next was an embrace so tight that all air escaped Lightning's lungs. Despite needing oxygen, Lightning found the hug enjoyable just as much as she found it confusing.

"I was so scared that you would think that I was disgusting," Serah sobbed. "I thought I was perverted for having these feelings for my own sister. I don't know what I would do if you stopped loving me."

Lightning held Serah at arm's length and wiped away her tears. "I would never stop loving you," she smiled. "You of all people should know that."

Serah smiled through her tears and kissed Lightning, who returned the favor without hesitation. Something about this kiss felt magical to the sisters. Even though it was the third one they shared, it held the nervous excitement of a first kiss. Serah could barely think as she lost herself in Lightning's warmth. This moment lived up to her expectations of what a kiss should be like. Snow had some kind of abrasiveness about him while Lightning was gentle. Everything about being with Lightning felt so right.

"Serah?" Lightning mumbled into the kiss. Serah only grunted in response. "You know you're in trouble, right?"

Serah pulled away abruptly and stood to her feet. Lightning noted how Serah suddenly found the strength to stand on her own so quickly. The older woman picked herself up as Serah asked, "What for? I didn't do anything?"

"Do you know how long you've been gone? You know your curfew is eleven o'clock – and that's being generous."

Serah frowned and crossed her arms. "I came back home well before eleven! I was just sitting outside for a while." Lightning rolled her eyes playfully and continued to tease her sister. She had no intention of punishing Serah at all. In fact, her plans for the night included cuddling, more kisses, and a good night's sleep.

_**The End**_

_I initially thought this was a weird pairing when I first heard of it, but I've warmed up to it a lot. Hope you all enjoyed! Til next story_

_Serenity101_


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